


Challenges

by rarepairqueen



Series: The Heat Fic Series [9]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: ((basically it's 2nd year shenanigans)), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluffy Ending, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Pre-Canon, Semi-Public Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 14:58:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12986511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rarepairqueen/pseuds/rarepairqueen
Summary: *Set during their second year*The loss to Date Tech's Iron Wall throws Asahi into a downward spiral that he can't pull himself out of.Whilst dealing with the guilt of letting his team down amongst other things, something else stirs inside him and Daichi steps up to support him like any future captain should...in more ways than one.





	Challenges

**Author's Note:**

> So it took a lot longer than I intended but I finally got this instalment of the series done~
> 
> Also it ended up being both longer, and much more emotional than I intended...whoops. I just wanted to do Asahi's character justice okay? ((still not sure how well that worked out but oh well))

 

It had been obvious from the moment the final buzzer sounded, that the match with Date Tech would remain in their memories for all the wrong reasons. Although the entire team felt the bitter sting of defeat, Asahi was the one who took it the hardest. Suga and Daichi hadn't wanted to admit it, they were adamant that it wasn't solely his fault but just a poor set of circumstances. That didn't stop others from making remarks though, the comment 'flightless crow' was heard in passing far too many times in the following days of their loss.

"We need to do something." Suga stated on the third day of Asahi skipping both class and practice. "He's not gonna bounce back from this otherwise."

Daichi sighed, leaning against the windowsill. The light spring breeze was a reminder they had very few days left of the school year, that they'd be third years in a few short weeks. That he'd be officially captain of the volleyball team, and Suga would be his co-captain.

"But how? He's not picking up anyone's calls, not even Nishinoya's." Daichi replied, casting his eyes around the room at their classmates during this brief break between lessons. They avoided his gaze, almost as if they knew him and Suga didn't approve of how they spoke about the team's loss.

There was a pause as Suga idly tapped his pen against his desk in thought. There wasn't much they could do, there was no reason for the loss other than the fact Date Tech knew how to stop Asahi's spikes. As a team they were solid, especially given their inexperience, Asahi had been a vital part of every victory until that point. Nothing had happened to change that.

"Wait," Suga ceased his pen tapping as he locked eyes with Daichi. "do you remember when I presented?"

Daichi's cheeks blossomed a deep shade of red. The memories flooding back to him all too quickly for his liking in a public place. He cleared his throat as he willed himself to stop remembering those details and try to see where Suga's train of thought lay.

"Vaguely."

"You remember how I sucked at doing anything volleyball related for the week leading up to it? Every toss, spike, block and serve was completely off?" Suga's serious expression didn't change even with Daichi's very obvious flustered demeanour.

"...yeah, kinda. I was a little...distracted."

Suga rolled his eyes. "Dai, what I'm saying is, maybe this wasn't _totally_ down to Date Tech being good?"

Daichi mulled it over for a few moments. It was somewhat clutching at straws to assume that there was more to it then their team not being good enough, it was a somewhat cheap way to justify their loss. Yet he could see how Suga was suggesting it so confidently.

"It would explain why he's skipped three days too." Suga continued, lowering his voice slightly as their classmates started assembling for the next class. "if he's in...either one of them, he's not going to fess up to anyone, is he?"

Daichi shook his head. "But what can we do? We don't even know what he'd present _as_ , let alone how to help him."

"Well," Suga's voice was barely above a whisper as the classroom quietened at their teacher arriving. "there's one way to find out; we pay him a visit."

It almost didn't sit right with Daichi as he sat down at his desk again. Somehow the idea of paying their loss-stricken-potentially-in-rut or heat-teammate didn't seem like a good one. But they _were_ worried about him, so he supposed a small visit wouldn't end too badly.

 

* * *

 

 

He knew he couldn't run from it forever. He knew that, yet he still refused to leave the relative sanctuary of his bed. His phone had buzzed with incoming calls and messages until the battery died, he hadn't bothered to plug it in to charge. The stirring in his body hadn't gone unnoticed, however, he had put it down to his usual anxiety over big matches and small inconveniences in life.

Except it had been there for a week, steadily getting harder to ignore. He had figured that the Date Tech match being over would've solved it, that the feeling of losing would replace it. Instead, the failure seemed to make it _worse_. Now, as well as wanting to hide from his team-mates in shame for losing the match, he physically couldn't stomach leaving his bed.

"Asahi, do you want anything from the store?" His mom called through the locked door. He had told her that he had a migraine for the past three days, nothing overly 'serious' but enough to stop her bothering him.

"No..." He called back, not leaving the bundle of blankets.

He heard her gathering her keys and leaving the home. Solitude greeted him like an old friend as the house went quiet. Sometimes being an only child had its perks. As much as he wanted to drift back into the half-asleep state he had been in for most of that day, being alone in the house did mean he could take a shower whilst avoiding questions about his state of mind after 'the loss'. He knew his mom was worried, he knew his friends were worried, _he_ was worried about him. However, he really could not stomach answering the barrage of questions.

That being said, he did find the energy to plug his phone into its charger on his way to the bathroom. That in itself was a small victory. He rubbed at his unshaven face as he padded across the hallway to the bathroom, debating whether there was much point in trying to look presentable. There was a brief moment when he considered letting his stubble grow into a full beard but that was quickly abandoned when he considered how Nishinoya would start calling him a Viking and demanding to braid it.

_Nishinoya_.

He sighed heavily as he watched the water cascading from the shower-head. He felt guilty for a lot of things; losing the match, failing his team, failing his school. But most of all, he felt guilty for not being able to give his friends a reasonable explanation for it all. There wasn't really an explanation to speak of, he just _choked_.

How could he turn around and say that the reason they lost that match was down to his stomach tying itself up in knots? How could he look them in the eye and say that his focus lapsed and he lost sight of the court beyond the net? How could he call himself the ace after _that_?

The water was scolding as he stepped under the spray, he hissed and tampered with the controls briefly, lessening the hell-fire raining down on him but keeping it on the hotter end of the scale. The fresh water running down his back made his sorrows feel a little more distant for a few moments. Laying in bed for three days had been comforting, but a hot shower seemed to do wonders. He paid more attention to washing his hair, trying to rinse away his thoughts of insecurity and doubt. He couldn't hide from it forever.

Shutting off the water, he quickly dried himself. He decided his scruffy face could wait a day or two before being sorted out, he wasn't feeling overly ambitious that afternoon even as he put some fresh clothes on and opened a window in his room. The sun was warm on his face as he dwelled at the open window, the fresh smell of rain indicated there had been at least a shower or two that day. The air was cool, refreshing even.

The stirring feeling remained in him though, more noticeable than before now that he was up and about. He couldn't seem to focus on anything now; not the school work that was half-complete, not chores around the house, not even cooking a proper meal seemed to hold much interest. He simply wanted to pace his small room.

His phone buzzed violently, almost as if it was annoyed about being ignored for so long. As he was checking the sheer number of missed calls from Nishinoya, a new message came in to join the dozen or so from various team-mates - including Kiyoko - that had remained unread;

**From Sawamura:**  
_Suga and I are on our way over. You've been out for three days Azumane, we're worried about you._

He wasn't sure how to feel about the statement. Half of him felt bad that it had escalated to this, but a part of him seemed strangely okay with them visiting. It was almost like a welcome distraction from the stirring sensation, though he was also fully expecting a small lecture from one or both of them.

He sent a simple 'ok' in response, not wanting to try and talk them out of it. It wasn't that long until the buzzer sounded at the door. He had been pacing his room the entire time, trying to work out how to explain any of this to them when they arrived. He hadn't had much success.

"Hey." He murmured as he opened the door, his hair had dried thankfully so at least he wasn't dripping water everywhere he went. The two at the door smiled, relief apparent on their faces as he let them into his home. At first, neither of them said anything about the match, more focused on telling him what he had missed in class - complete with Suga pulling out a notebook with several worksheets inside it. He could almost believe they weren't really here to check up on him.

"So, how are you?" Suga asked. They were all seated in Asahi's small lounge, cups of half-drunk tea on the table between him and them. It felt somewhat like an interview, or a really awkward talk with his parents.

Asahi swallowed, not sure how to respond properly. There was a hidden question in there, but he couldn't find the courage to broach the subject himself.

"Uh, alright...yeah." He replied, avoiding looking at either Suga or Daichi.

"Alright enough to come back to practice?" Daichi abruptly asked, getting a slight frown from Suga for being so blunt.

Asahi made himself meet Daichi's gaze. Whilst they considered each other friends, there was an unspoken tension that he couldn't pinpoint exactly. Most of the time he put it down to the soon-to-be captain getting a measure on his ace, but even now there seemed to be something _else_ lingering. He didn't want to entertain that thought.

"We understand that it's tough." Suga added quickly when Asahi didn't respond. "But you can't lock yourself away like this Asahi."

"Why not? In a just a few days the year will be over and--"

"And we'll be third years inheriting a club from our senpais." Daichi cut in. "Which is why you should stop wallowing in defeat and get back on your feet. We'll have first years to look after, how are we meant to show them we mean business when our own ace is acting like a deflated balloon?"

Suga rolled his eyes, he wasn't appreciating the hard-line Daichi was taking. "What Daichi means is that the loss hurt us too," he said quietly, tone softer than Daichi's. "we're still beat up about it, but the quicker you get back into the swing of things, the better you'll feel."

Asahi remained quiet, he knew they were both right; that continuing down this path wasn't going to do anyone any good. Yet he also knew that the moment he walked into that gym again, he'd feel sick to his stomach. Even in that moment, the stirring wasn't letting up, if anything it was harder to ignore as they both sat across from him and waited for his response.

"I'm sorry, I just...I don't feel right." He uttered.

Daichi sighed heavily, glancing at Suga briefly. "Why?"

Asahi shook his head. He couldn't put it into words. Suga's gaze on him was pensive, almost like he was analysing him for any hint of what was really going on. He felt a little unnerved by it.

"Well, we'll let you rest then." Suga stated, catching Daichi off guard.

"Okay." Asahi replied, watching as Daichi stood up and made his way to the door. Suga lingered though, hovering in the doorway to the hallway. He gave Asahi a hard look.

"Is there something going on Asahi?" He asked quietly.

"What do you--"

Suga shook his head. "You _know_ what I mean, is there?"

Asahi felt vaguely threatened all of a sudden, like Suga was trying to challenge him, a brief flicker of aggression passed through his mind as he held Suga's gaze. He swallowed and shook his head. It seemed to be enough for Suga who followed Daichi out of the house, shutting the door behind him firmly.

"He's going into rut." Suga stated calmly as he walked beside Daichi. The sun was warm on their faces, with the promise of more warm weather to follow.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, when I asked if there was something going on, I could sense it." Suga sighed, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Who knows if he's even aware though."

Daichi didn't say anything right away, mulling over the new information. If Asahi was so caught up in his loss, there was a chance he didn't even know he was presenting, let alone presenting as an alpha.

"So _now_ what do we do?" He asked Suga, as if the setter would have all the answers immediately.

"We wait, and hope that he's able to deal with it when it happens." Was the reply. "And we also hope that it doesn't coincide with his return to practice."

"You're certain he'll come back?"

"He will. We're all he has, plus do you really think Nishinoya is going to let him give up that easily?"

Daichi smiled slightly. "True."

 

* * *

 

 

The weekend gave Asahi some time to think, not that he needed much more time. Both Daichi and Suga had made it clear that they wanted him to return to practice before the end of the year, yet as Monday morning rolled around, he found himself dreading the day ahead. He had managed to reply to everyone who had messaged him, apologising for his weird mood and confirming he'd be back in lessons at least. Nishinoya had asked if he would be at practice, Asahi hadn't known how to reply.

The lessons weren't the problem, sure he got a few small remarks from a few teachers on his absence but the notes Suga had dropped off filled in most of the blanks in his work. He felt like everyone was watching him, that they still remembered he was the one who lost the match. His stomach still felt tight, he almost wished he had stayed home again as lunch rolled around.

"Feeling better?" Kiyoko smiled as she met him in the corridor. "I know Suga-san and Daichi-san were worried about you."

He returned the smile as best he could. "Yeah..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Kinda, still a bit low..."

She nodded. "I'm glad you're back in class though, are you coming to practice later? Nishinoya-san has been lonely without you."

The slight pang of guilt did little to help Asahi's stomach cramp. "Uh, maybe. I'm not sure."

Kiyoko didn't seem fazed, she nodded again in understanding. "Well Suga-san isn't in today, he came down with the flu over the weekend. I'm not sure what Daichi-san is planning for practice today. So you may not miss that much."

Asahi almost wanted to hug Kiyoko for being so understanding. Whether she knew how bad he felt or not, she seemed to read the situation like a book. He smiled, more sure of himself.

"I'll see how I feel I guess." He shrugged, mindful that he probably ought to actually _talk_ to Daichi that day at some point. "I'll go find Sawamura."

He gave a small wave in farewell before making his way back to his classroom. He had noticed a lack of Suga that day but his attention had been firmly on his own troubles to worry about a sick classmate. Daichi however was leaning on the windowsill watching the world pass by, in his own little world it seemed as Asahi slowly approached.

Before he could say anything however, Asahi felt a strange dizzy spell come over him. He paused, catching his breath as quickly as he could without hyperventilating. After blinking rapidly for a few moments, the spell seemed to pass without much explanation. He tried to shake it off as one of the many ways his anxiety manifested, but somehow it felt _different_ to normal.

"Hey," He managed to greet Daichi like a normal human being. "Suga's not in?"

Daichi tilted his head and smiled at Asahi. "Nah, called me last night complaining of a headache. I told him to stay home today if he didn't feel any better."

"Ah." Asahi leaned against the vacant desk that was usually Suga's. Daichi seemed at ease despite the lack of their friend, never one to really be bothered by small things like Asahi was. In a way, Asahi envied him for it, but that was what was going to make Daichi a good, level-headed captain.

"So what about you?" Daichi asked, attention still on the outside world. "You feeling better?"

Asahi toyed with the hem of his shirt, not sure how to answer. "Kinda."

"Kinda?" Daichi turned to face him, his expression still calm and composed but there was a slight edge to his voice. "What's going on?"

"I..." Asahi's voice died a little, his throat felt dry as even he struggled to figure out what was actually happening. His gaze met Daichi's, a tightness forming in his chest as his eyes darted around the other's complexion. He didn't realise what his thoughts were doing until he seemed to be staring at Daichi's lips for far too long.

"Uh, Azumane?" Daichi asked, snapping his fingers in the air between them, startling Asahi out of his trance.

"Uh--yeah uhm." He tried to ignore the fact he had started wondering how soft Daichi's lips were. "I'm not sure."

Daichi raised an eyebrow. "Right, so you just..." he gestured to the air in thought "you're just spacing out and not focusing?"

Asahi nodded, almost sheepishly.

"And you locked yourself away for at least three days...."

"Mhm."

"And now you're almost refusing to look me in the eye."

Asahi lifted his gaze from the floor, feeling like a scolded child. "Maybe."

Daichi folded his arms across his chest, powerful, strong arms that Asahi somewhat wanted to pin to a wall for no explicit reason. He swallowed as he directed his gaze back at the floor. He didn't want to think about what this was leading up to. He didn't want to accept that it was happening.

"Okay." Daichi's voice was softer, almost like he knew something but wasn't letting on. "You and I are having words later during practice. I'll get Kiyoko to look after everything."

"Words..." Asahi repeated, daring himself to meet Daichi's gaze. "About what?"

Daichi inhaled deeply. "Words about what you're not telling me but I can sense anyway."

With that, Daichi excused himself from the conversation, leaving Asahi to work out what he meant. Daichi immediately sought out Kiyoko and requested a private conversation - much to her classmate's glee and would probably result in a rumour of their courting taking hold. She understood almost instantly that something was up, and that something was Asahi.

"Suga-san said he's in rut?" She repeated, the stairwell was blissfully empty and non-echoing as Daichi filled her in on the situation. "That explains a lot."

"Yeah, but the problem now is, he's either unaware or trying to blag his way through it."

"Dangerous," Kiyoko tapped her foot in thought. "so what are you going to do?"

Daichi ran a hand through his hair. "Well, there's two options; send him home to deal with it even though he's only just agreed to come back..."

"or take him through it yourself." Kiyoko finished.

"...yeah."

"Not a choice to be made lightly Daichi." She reached out and squeezed his arm. "You know I could--"

"No. No I don't want you having to get involved." Daichi shook his head. "I was the one who made it quite clear he had to return this week, so I'll deal with the added consequences."

Kiyoko smiled weakly. "If you're sure."

"I know you don't swing that way anyway."

Kiyoko's gentle hand left him and came back in the form of a gentle punch to the arm. He winced and pretended he was mortally wounded or a split second, both of them laughing it off before the seriousness of the conversation resurfaced.

"So you want me to keep the club busy whilst...you do that?" She asked.

"...well I don't know if he'd accept the proposition." Daichi shrugged. "If he does, he might not want to do it _here_ obviously--"

"but a rut waits for no-one." Kiyoko cut in. "You and Suga know that."

Daichi felt his cheeks redden. "Yes. Well that was a freak accident...in a way."

"That you both matured at the same time? _Sure_ Daichi." She coyly remarked.

He sighed as she giggled at his flushed cheeks. "Anyway, I'll text Suga and let him know too, gods only know how this is gonna affect Asahi in the long run."

"We'll get him through it, as friends and as a team." Kiyoko smiled. "We should get to class, and I need to work out how to keep Nishinoya from pestering Asahi."

"I don't envy you there."

"I wouldn't expect you to Daichi." Kiyoko remarked as she turned to leave. "But there's a reason I'm the club manager after all."

 

* * *

 

 

By the time the last lesson of the day finished, Asahi was reluctantly accepting that what was happening wasn't just the result of anxiety. He waited for most of his class to file out, eager to get home or to their clubs, before rising out of his seat himself. He felt sluggish yet wound up, like the smallest thing could send him into a full-on meltdown or worse. He hadn't clocked Daichi lingering near the door until he turned around and met his gaze. The other simply nodded to the door in a silent gesture to follow him, Asahi wasn't going to question it.

Rather than taking the normal route to the club room, Daichi led him down the back staircase, usually used to make a quick escape to the bike racks, except this was a longer route to the club room. Asahi figured this was to give the rest of the club time to arrive and make their way to the gym and he wasn't going to question it. Neither of them said anything as they walked around the back of the school building, the covered walkway to the gym was in sight within a few moments and they could see the gym was open and occupied. Daichi remained silent as he led Asahi to the side of the club room building, briefly confusing Asahi until he stopped to face him properly.

"So," Daichi's voice was low, like he was about to conduct a drugs deal or something equally nefarious. "Suga told me on Friday that he reckons you're in rut."

Asahi was used to Daichi's tough love talk, but hearing him outright accuse him of being in rut was a whole different story. For one, Daichi wasn't exactly _wrong_ , but what was getting Asahi to admit it going to achieve? Asahi snorted, sensing that maybe Daichi was trying to assert his dominance by calling him out so easily.

"And?" Asahi replied with the most confidence he had experienced since the last match. "What are you going to do about it?"

Daichi's gaze didn't waver, if he was thrown off by Asahi's sudden bravado he didn't show it. "Depends, what are _you_ going to do about it?"

There were a few obvious answers Asahi could've gone with, but none of them seemed like they'd appease Daichi in that moment. He shrugged, not allowing the other to make him admit to anything just yet.

"Do you have any suggestions?" He asked, watching as Daichi's complexion betrayed him, the rosy tint to his cheeks said it all. He had known Daichi was an omega from the get go, there were only so many ways he could hide the mark Suga had branded him with.

"Well." Daichi huffed, letting his bag drop to the ground. "I can think of one thing."

Asahi raised an eyebrow as Daichi stared him down whilst he undid the fly on his jacket. It was a heavy proposition, one that most alphas would've accepted without thinking properly.

"And what does Suga think of this?" He asked, shoving his hands in the pockets of his slacks. "Cause I'm not about to get on the wrong side of him."

Daichi dug out his phone from his pocket, tapping through to the last message he received from Suga on the matter:

**From: Koushi:**  
_Do whatever you think is right Dai, I may be your alpha, but I don't own you._

"So that's what he thinks," Daichi stated as Asahi nodded at the message. "what do you want to do about this?"

Asahi swallowed. He didn't think Daichi would really be open to the idea, yet they were stood in one of the more secluded spots on the school campus alluding to the very real idea of having sex. He had to admit, it was something out of a wet dream of his, not that he was going to openly confess to that.

"Is there nowhere else to do it but here?" Asahi's more rational mind kicked in for a few moments, whilst physically possible to do it there and then, it wasn't the most sanitary of places.

"Well unless you wanna sneak into the track and field's storage closet..."

Asahi hummed, glancing over at the isolated building, the track and field team weren't practising that day so the chances of being interrupted were rather slim.

"Sure." He replied, giving into the sinful suggestions his mind was throwing at him.

Daichi immediately collected his bag and made his way to the empty storage closet. The doors were locked but a little-known fact amongst the sports teams was that all the locks on the clubrooms and storage closets were the same, therefore the key Daichi had for the volleyball team's closet matched the track and field's. As soon as the door opened, they were inside the one-room building. Small thin windows let in a small amount of light, enough to see by without having to turn on the ceiling lamp. The closet was kept fairly neat; the hurdles were aligned neatly against the back wall, the javelins all hung up on their racks, cages held all the weights used for throwing events. It was a lot more organised than other club storage rooms.

Asahi shut the door firmly behind him, the air in the room feeling heavier already. Somewhere inside him he was aware that he could still back out, that he could still simply go home and ride it out by himself. He wasn't going to though, not with the way Daichi was so willing to help.

"Now we're here, I'd say we have about an hour before practice ends." Daichi stated, letting his bag drop to the floor, quickly shrugging off his jacket too and discarding it.

Asahi nodded, following suit. He had barely removed his jacket when he felt a hand grip his shirt and pull him abruptly close to Daichi. Warm breath greeted his lips as he stepped against Daichi, both of them hesitating. Daichi's grip on Asahi's shirt loosened slightly, parted lips trembled before Asahi closed the gap between them. Lips moved against one another in a frantic fashion, the delicate balance of power being tested as Daichi let Asahi push him up against the wall.

Moving on instinct, Asahi pressed his knee between Daichi’s legs, breaking away from the clumsy kiss to hear the soft moan from the other. He didn't know how to really go about what they were doing, relying heavily on instinct alone to guide him. Daichi had anticipated the slight clueless nature, only having one heat under his own belt gave him a slight advantage over the other but not by much.

"I'm not made of china Asahi, you don't have to worry about breaking me." Daichi breathed, trailing a hand up Asahi's arm and squeezing his shoulder.

"I know that." Asahi grunted, his hands splayed on the wall either side of Daichi. "I just--"

"You're new to this, I get it." Daichi cut in. "Koushi was too."

The mention of the other alpha made Asahi's stomach twist, a primal urge to snap at Daichi was nearly acted upon but he reined himself in, settling instead for pressing his knee against the apex of Daichi’s legs. Daichi was caught off guard, a louder moan escaping him before he bit down on his lip to silence himself, prompting a low chuckle from Asahi.

"I assume, being the goody-two-shoes you are Daichi, that you prepared for this?" Asahi's low tone signalled a shift in demeanour. Daichi nodded, gaze going to his bag.

"Back pocket." He replied. "The only two things we'll need."

Asahi hummed, time was not on their side and he knew that. This was going to be a far cry from any slow, sensual act, this was going to be a quick and lust-driven one. He released Daichi and watched him retrieve the bottle and the foil packet, taking the brief moment to think about how to take the future captain.

He didn't give Daichi much warning when he shoved him back against the wall face-first, having pocketed the supplies first. Daichi didn't resist, he widened his stance expectantly as Asahi's hand ghosted over his ass. Hips rocked back against Asahi's hand, a willingness in the other's actions putting the last dregs of anxiety at ease. That being said, Asahi was still new to the feeling inside him; the desire to mark Daichi as his own regardless of the consequences. At any other moment he would've been scared by it, but as he let his instinct take over, he found a new sense of confidence about him.

He realised he had been thinking for too long and not doing anything when Daichi huffed against the wall.

"Are you actually going to do something Asahi?" Daichi remarked, the trace of sass in his voice irking the alpha. "Or do I need to take control of this situation?"

"Do you talk to Koushi in that tone?" Asahi challenged, hand squeezing Daichi's ass in warning. The other continued to press back against his hand.

"Koushi doesn't stand around doing nothing for ages."

Asahi raised an eyebrow, so that was how Daichi was going to play this. He leaned closer, nuzzling Daichi's neck as he remained pressed against the wall. The other alpha's scent was strong, but it only urged him on. He could be a better alpha that his team-mate, he wasn't a pushover.

"Okay then Daichi, I see how it is."

Without warning, Asahi spun Daichi around, pinning him against the wall with his larger frame. He stole Daichi's lips in an aggressive kiss, swallowing the noise of surprise that came from the other. The leg between Daichi's continued pressing against him, rubbing at his crotch as hands gripped his hips and held him in place. Hands flew to Asahi's shoulders, first out of panic but then relaxing to trail up to his hair tied in its trademark bun. Daichi made short work of the hair tie and was soon running his fingers through long tangled locks, tugging lightly as Asahi finally broke away from the assault on his lips.

"You enjoy pushing my buttons don't you?" Asahi growled.

"You leave yourself open to it." Daichi replied with a small coy smile. "And you'll make it worthwhile if that's how you react."

Asahi snorted, moving one of his hands between them and cupping the obvious bulge in Daichi's slacks. The rosy cheeks of the other blossomed into a deeper shade of red as Asahi's thick fingers rubbed through the layers of fabric.

"I think I'd rather watch _your_ reactions," He breathed "especially as I fuck you."

Daichi's eyes widened, he hadn't expected Asahi to be so blunt when he imagined this scenario playing out. He had falsely assumed Asahi's timid, anxious nature would carry over into his rutting personality. He wasn't sure if he was happy with the development or not, but quickly decided it was the former as teeth grazed at his neck, not hard enough to mark but enough to send a shiver down his spine. He let out a weak moan, already feeling the oppressive scent hanging around him. Asahi's body was warm against him, almost too warm as his hand continued teasing Daichi through his clothes.

"Nngh, Asahi..." He whimpered, bumping his head back against the wall.

Asahi hummed in response, pulling away slightly to look Daichi up and down; the older male's shirt was crumpled and half hanging out of his pants, the noticeable bulge made Asahi conscious of his own but he soon dismissed that thought when he met Daichi's gaze. Usually calm and composed eyes were lidded, pupils wide as Daichi bit on his bottom lip and raised an eyebrow.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Daichi remarked, still trying to push Asahi's buttons.

He didn't reply verbally, instead he reached for the belt buckle of Daichi’s slacks. He kept his gaze firmly on Daichi's as he unfastened it and eased his hand between the layers of fabric. Daichi's eyes widened as he felt the first brush of skin against his and a small whimper left him.

"You like that? You like an alpha touching you like this?" Asahi's voice was low as Daichi nodded. The stirring in his own body was stronger than ever as he breathed in Daichi's scent, the more riled up the omega got, the more he seemed at ease.  "What about...here?" He reached around and rubbed his fingertip against the sensitive entrance. A sharp, more high pitched moan left Daichi.

Asahi stole his lips again, fingertip still teasing as he did so. Daichi began squirming slightly, hands coming up to fist in Asahi's shirt as his teasing got too much already.

"Please" Daichi gasped as soon as he could "please Asahi--"

There was an amused hum from Asahi, he was surprised how quickly Daichi bent to his will as he withdrew his hand and dug the lube out of his back pocket. He barely hesitated as he shoved Daichi's slacks and boxers down, catching the other a little off guard but not giving him time to object as he uncapped the lube and coated two fingers with it. He was back to teasing Daichi, rubbing his fingertips against the sensitive area before he felt the other was ready to move things along.

Daichi's eyes fluttered shut as Asahi slowly pressed his finger in, lips parted in a silent 'o' as he felt the stretch. He was by no means a virgin but it still burned a little. Sloppy kisses were pressed against his neck as Asahi didn't try to speed things up. Only when his finger easily thrust in and out, did Asahi add a second, then a third. Daichi's softer moans in his ear fuelled his desire to get to the main event.

"You good?" Asahi asked, the trace of caution in his voice didn't go unnoticed.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm good." Daichi nodded, he was _more_ than good, but he wasn't one to say more than he needed.

With a nod, Asahi slowly withdrew his fingers. A whimper at the loss was heard as he wiped his fingers on his pants and unfastened his own belt. He could feel himself straining against the confines of his boxers, the omega's scent driving his senses crazy since they started making out. Daichi’s lidded gaze was watching him as he stroked himself, eyes flicking up to the foil packet being torn open.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Asahi remarked, watching the quirk of Daichi's eyebrow as he chuckled.

Daichi reached out and tugged on Asahi's shirt, closing the gap between them in a more frantic kiss. A hand gripping his thigh coaxed him to wrap it around Asahi's waist. He immediately felt more exposed as Asahi rubbed the head of his cock against his stretched opening. Breaking away from the kiss, he caught sight of the carnal hunger in Asahi's gaze; pupils wide and glazed as he studied Daichi's face.

"Now who's leaving themselves open?" Asahi murmured, pressing into Daichi. A sharp gasp was swallowed in another kiss. Hands fisted in Asahi's hair as he started thrusting shallowly, a large hand squeezed Daichi's ass whilst the other coaxed his other leg to wrap around him.

"Asahi..." Daichi breathed as the new position had Asahi pressing deeper with each new thrust.

"Close already?" Asahi hummed, punctuating his question with a rougher thrust and making Daichi moan loudly.

"Fuck--maybe."

Asahi took it as a challenge, his free hand closed around Daichi's throat and pinned him against the wall, enabling him to watch the other's expression as he continued fucking him. A heated glance passed between them as Daichi's eyes fluttered shut at the sensation of weightlessness.  He quickened his pace, the sound of skin against skin filling the air with his grunts and low growls. He was still searching for Daichi's sweet spot as he leaned forward to steal another kiss, biting on Daichi's lip as he felt the other clenching around him.

"Deeper." Daichi breathed. "Fuck me deeper--"

Asahi growled, snapping his hips up abruptly and cutting Daichi off by making him cry out. He smirked, continuing the brutal pace as Daichi's hands tugged on his hair almost painfully. He could feel his own release approaching quickly, he could feel the tight coil in the pit of his stomach becoming too much as Daichi clenched around him and moaned in his ear repeatedly.

He drove deeper still, burying himself inside the other and stilling briefly, relishing the feeling until Daichi squirmed and pined at not being satisfied. Having his future captain _pining_ in his arms was something Asahi wouldn't forget in a hurry. He chuckled lowly as he slowly started thrusting again, hands gripping the back of Daichi's impressive thighs as he did so.

Glazed eyes regarded him pleadingly. Daichi panted and whimpered at the slow pace, his cock smearing precum over his shirt as he made no move to pleasure himself. The pace was slow but deep, almost torturous for the omega as he could feel Asahi's cock pulsing inside him.

"Just--fucking get on with it!" Daichi snapped, on the edge of begging as he bumped his head against the wall again.

"Hmm?" Asahi's breath was shaky as he fought to keep himself grounded for a few more moments. "Was that a _beg_ I heard?"

Daichi shook his head at first, whining and grinding down on Asahi's cock as best he could. "Asahi don't make me beg--"

"Hey, you're the one who compared me to Koushi." Asahi growled, a deceptive smirk on his face as he bit at Daichi’s earlobe. "You may be about to be my captain, but you can't dismiss me that easily."

"I wasn't--"

Asahi snapped his hips up again, briefly brushing Daichi's sweet spot. He continued the sporadic pace until Daichi was near tears at the denied release. His knot was starting to catch as he teased himself throughout the ordeal. He found it oddly satisfying to push his own boundaries, something he wished his normal personality would take on board.

"Beg." Asahi hissed, stilling again. "Beg for it Daichi."

The omega let out a whimper, trying to form a sentence as he met Asahi's hungry gaze. "Please...please Asahi please..." He trailed off "please give me your knot please let me cum."

Asahi hummed, admiring the dishevelled state Daichi was in before he granted the request. It didn't take long for Daichi to reach his climax, allowing Asahi to swallow his cries and moans in a sloppy kiss as he came between them. Asahi grunted and drove deeper again, stilling as his knot swelled and kept him in place. He was trembling as he pressed against Daichi, keeping him against the wall as they rode out their highs.

The faint whimpering in his ear kept him grounded as he felt the past week's pressure ease from his shoulders, he was aware of the aggression leaving him, trying to tug his new-found confidence with it. He dared to open his eyes and meet Daichi’s tired gaze. He expected a look of disgust, irritation, pity even, instead he was greeted with a gentle smile, understanding, acceptance.

"Welcome back." Daichi breathed.

"...yeah..." He exhaled, realising he was still gripping Daichi's thighs and keeping him from standing by himself. He felt the usual panic rising in him before a hand cupped his cheek.

"Hey, don't freak out." Daichi's tone was calm. "This was all completely normal."

"But--"

"Nu-uh." Daichi put his finger to Asahi's lips to prevent him interrupting. "You are my friend Asahi and you needed someone to get you through this."

Asahi nodded, as stupid as it sounded, he wanted to cry.

"Suga and I knew one of us might've had to step in, depending on your alignment," Daichi continued, wincing slightly as Asahi shifted their position slightly. "this is just what friends do; they support each other."

Asahi nodded again, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against Daichi's. "Thank-you." He whispered. "I...yeah."

Daichi chuckled. "Don't worry about putting anything into words, just promise me something?"

"What?"

"That you'll come back to practice when you're ready. Don't come back just because I told you to, come back when you're feeling like _you_ again."

Asahi sniffed loudly. "Yeah, yeah I will."

"Even if it's in the new year, Karasuno needs you Asahi." Daichi took to running his fingers through Asahi's hair in a comforting manner. "We want to win, we want to win with you."

"Yeah..." Asahi nodded.

They fell silent for a few moments, Daichi continuing to thread his fingers through Asahi's hair. It was almost peaceful until the aching in Daichi's thighs started getting too much. Asahi slowly slid out, gently easing Daichi's legs down so he could stand again. They shared a nervous glance as Daichi shrugged off his dirty shirt, shoving it into his bag and pulling out his practice shirt to wear instead. There was no doubt about it that he was sore, but he wasn't mad about it. Asahi tried not to let his nerves get the better of him as he tired his hair back up in its signature bun, his thoughts were starting to run wild as he processed what had just happened.

A gentle hand took hold of his, bringing him out of his thought process.

"Hey," Daichi squeezed his hand. "don't over-think it."

"But we just...we just had sex." Asahi replied, managing not to shy away from looking Daichi directly in the eye. "I can't just brush that off."

"I'm not saying to brush it off." Daichi shook his head, a reassuring smile on his face. "What's bugging you the most about it?"

Asahi wasn't expecting the question, he didn't have much of an answer prepared. He shrugged at first, trying to deny he was caught up on anything, but as Daichi refused to move the conversation on, he was forced to confess.

"Well...what happens next time?" He asked, voice quiet as he loosened his grip on Daichi's hand. "I can't keep stealing you away from Suga."

Daichi nodded. "True, but you'll have a few months to work it out. Who knows, you might find a mate by then." Daichi remarked.

"And who would want me for a mate Daichi? I'm only confident in rut it seems, never anywhere else."

The sharp jab at his side made him yelp, Daichi chuckled. "What is it that Suga says? 'Stop being a negative goatee'?"

Asahi blinked at Daichi before letting out a small sigh. "Yeah, that what he says."

"Exactly, stop looking down on yourself. You're the ace of Karasuno, the one who we turn to when we need to win. Believe me when I say there is someone out there who'll idolise you, who'll want to be with you and inspire you to become the best you can be both on and off that court."

"You really think so?" Asahi murmured, daring to hope that Daichi wasn't just saying this but that he truly meant it.

"Yeah, yeah I know so." Daichi nodded. "Now, I need to actually show my face at practice..." He zipped up his jacket "you could probably go home--"

"No." Asahi cut in, puffing out his chest as he sighed. "No, I-I want to be there. I can't hide away."

Daichi smiled, nodding as he made his way to the door. After locking up the room, they walked to the open gymnasium. Practice was drawing to a close as Daichi strode in, Kiyoko smiled in greeting as she saw him, immediately going over to him and telling him what the team had worked on that day. Asahi however, lingered at the doorway, unsure about his decision to show his face now.

The squeak of sneakers on the polished floor preceded the friendly slap to his shoulder.

"Asahi!" Nishinoya practically jumped onto his back. "You're back!"

The over-excited libero was a welcome sight for him. He almost wanted to hug the other and never let go. There was a comfort in knowing he was wanted, that someone was always cheering for him despite the heavy loss.

He suddenly realised what Daichi was talking about when he said he knew there was someone out there for him.

"Yeah, yeah I'm back..." Asahi repeated, smiling as Nishinoya beamed up at him.

"Hell yeah! Don't worry Asahi, we're gonna train hard and get Karasuno to nationals next year, you'll see!"

The ever-optimistic nature of Nishinoya was refreshing to be around. Asahi found himself nodding and agreeing. Whilst it still stung to have lost so badly, there was a team around him ready and willing to hit the ground running back to victory. And this wasn't even taking into account any new members they got.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" Nishinoya asked abruptly.

"Uh--yeah!" Asahi hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Why?"

Nishinoya grinned. "Cause I need to practice receiving your spikes again! And you need to see if you can spike past the best libero in the Miyagi prefecture."

"Oi calm down with that ego!" Ennoshita called from where he was moping the floor. "And quit slacking off and help us clean the gym!"

Nishinoya puffed out his cheeks but laughed it off, Asahi cracked up a little too as Ennoshita rolled his eyes and threw a mop at Nishinoya. Tanaka broke into a fit of laughter as the libero dove onto the freshly polished floor in order to avoid the flying cleaning tool.

This was the Karasuno that Asahi was happy to be a part of, the Karasuno that picked themselves up and dusted themselves off in the face of failure, the so-called 'flightless crows' that refused to go down without a fight. Great things were destined for this small team, he could feel it, and he was thankful to be part of it.


End file.
